


How Come Aquaman Can Control Whales?

by badcaseofcasey



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, M/M, everyone's pining after each other, post-apocalypse-y, space, the martian au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-09-27 20:49:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10048709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badcaseofcasey/pseuds/badcaseofcasey
Summary: Jack, Bitty and the crew are part of a group responsible for evacuating Earth and delivering supplies to the space station once Earth has become inhabitable. During a freak electric storm, Jack has to make the hard choice to leave Bitty behind to save the supplies and the rest of the crew. With the help of some unlikely (read: super likely) friends, Bitty sets out to make it back up to Jack.AKA a dystopian The Martian AU that literally no one asked for but I am, for some reason, committed to writing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from one of my favorite quotes from The Martian.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter when I initially posted it on Tumblr and who encouraged me to keep writing, including @theratchild and @theoriginalspike, who gave me advice along the way!
> 
> As always, please feel free to point out any mistakes so I can fix them!
> 
> Disclaimer: all of these characters, as well as the amazing creation that is Check, Please!, belong to ngozi and I'm so lucky to be able to borrow them for a while.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bitty gets left behind (on Earth, though, not Mars)

Humanity's time on earth was over. That much was certain.

The damage done over time by humans as well as the general entropy of life had finally run their course and it was time to leave. The nice thing about the brevity of human lives in comparison to the life of the universe is that it gave them time. The earth had been dying for hundreds of years, it just took humans a while to notice. But once they had, they took their remaining time to build space stations capable of sustaining human life for as long as it took to find a suitable home planet.

The already dwindling population left on Earth by the time the space stations were ready had started evacuating 5 years previous. The only ones left now, it seemed, were those in charge of getting everyone else up into the sky. Nicknamed Wellies for their distinctive tall rubber boots, the Earth Relocation Battalions had been formed in order to assist in getting humanity off of Earth and up into the safety of the sky. Now, it was their turn to leave. The last of humanity left on Earth.

Eric Bittle looked out across the view spread in front of him. There were still trees in this part of the world, towering against the horizon like nothing had changed. He breathed deep, basking in the clean air provided by the trees. Almost no areas like this existed anymore, areas where you could take off your breathing mask and enjoy the wind on your face. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath.

"Bittle?" a voice asked from behind him.

He turned to see his battalion’s captain looking at him questioningly.

"Hey, sorry," Eric said. "Got lost in my thoughts a bit."

Jack nodded in understanding. "Do you think you're going to miss it?"

Eric laughed lightly. "Of course I will, Captain Zimmerman. We aren't going to get views like this in space. Not to mention that we'll be breathing recycled air for the foreseeable future. I'm not sure how you wouldn't miss it."

Jack hummed. "I guess I've just gotten used to it."

Eric nodded, remembering that Jack's father was one of the founding members of the Wellies, meaning Jack had spent most of his childhood up on the space station. The early days of the ERB was spent testing living conditions in space, helping to get the stations ready for the rest of humanity.

"I hope I will, too," Eric said. "My parents are already up there. Mama says I'll like the kitchens - that they have everything I'll need, but I know with the rationing, I won't be able to bake nearly as often as I used to."

"Well," Jack said, clearly unsure of how to respond. "As long as I get some, whenever you do bake."

Eric rolled his eyes. "You know, Captain, if I didn't know better, I would think you thought more with your stomach than with your own brain."

Jack cracked a smile at that. "Chirp me all you like, Bittle, you're the one whose first thought about living in space is what the kitchens would be like."

"Bitty! Jack!" They both turned to see Ransom and Holster waving them back towards their ascent ship. "We have to go now - the weather team's called it. There's a huge electric storm coming and if we don't leave now we won't make it at all."

“Yeah!” Shitty’s voice came over the comms, a few decibels louder than necessary, as usual. “Stop admiring the view and get your beautiful ass in gear, Zimmermann.”

Jack rolled his eyes at Shitty before straightening to his full height as he went into Captain Mode. "All right, let's get the rest of this stuff loaded up. The last thing we want is to be taking off in an electric storm."

The battalion turned their attention to loading up the ascent vehicle, trying to get everything in before one of the freak electric storms that had become a hallmark of Earth’s instability made their ascent impossible. The camp they had been staying in the past few days was still set up, and they wouldn’t have time to take the tents down. Instead, they loaded all of the crates of supplies they were tasked with transporting first, leaving the non-essentials for later, or possibly never. They were nearly done when the winds started picking up and it started to rain in huge droplets. Jack’s shoulders tightened when he realized how little time they actually had.

Bitty caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and knew that Jack must be ready to call them to the ascent ship, regardless of what was left behind. Bitty looked to one of the last crates left on the surface; he knew it held rations that would be essential once they got up to the station. He couldn’t leave it.

“Bits, just leave it!” Holster yelled over the sound of the wind. The sky was getting darker and the wind was picking up more and more by the second. “This is about to get really bad and we need to go. Now or never.”

“Y’all start boarding!” Bitty yelled back. “I’ll be right behind you!”

Jack looked at Bitty and opened his mouth to protest.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Bitty yelled a little more forcefully and started to move towards the crate.

Jack exchanged glances with the rest of the battalion. “Let’s get going! We need to be ready for ascent the second BItty gets back.”

As the crew began to board the ascent vehicle, Bitty was struggling to run against the wind; he was definitely fastest of all of them, something he’d proven time and time again whenever they decided to challenge him, but he was also the smallest. The wind was fierce, but he made it to the crate and picked it up, turning to run back to the ship. He saw the last of his battalion run onto the ship and made a break for it, knowing that if they didn’t leave now, there wouldn’t be an option.

As soon as he lifted his foot of the ground, however, he felt the wind knocked out of him and the crate slipped out of his hands. He fell backwards and had a moment to register the searing pain in his side before he hit the ground and black started creeping into the edges of his vision.

On the ascent vehicle, Jack rushed straight to the window the second he made it through the airlock. “All right, Bittle, we’re all on. Waiting on you.”

The rest of the crew busied themselves with their ascent protocols, the hum of activity frantic but controlled. The storm outside had reached epic proportions; the sky was almost black and the wind was whipping the rain by so quickly that Jack could barely make out the fuzzy shape of a crate lying on its side.

“Bittle, report.” The comm line was filled with static, only punctuated by the crew’s protocol scripts. Jack grabbed for one of the infrared helmets they had used to scan for heat signatures during evacuation and moved back towards the airlock. “I’m going out to get him, you all continue prep for launch.”

“Captain…” Jack turned to see Holster looking up from his readout, his face pale in the green light of the readout. “If we don’t take off within the next minute or so, we might not be taking off at all. The wind is getting worse, and visibility is already down to almost zero.”

Jack nodded and squared his jaw, stopping his attempts to leave the ascent vehicle. Bittle could make his own way back. He had to. “Bittle, check in.” The static was all he heard now, the rest of the crew silently watching him search for any sign of life outside the shuttle window. “Fuck. Bittle.” There was no way the crew didn’t hear the break in his voice as he choked out Bittle’s name one last time, eyes desperately scanning the horizon.

“Captain,” Shitty said gently. He rested his hand on Jack’s shoulder and squeezed lightly. “Jack. We need your orders.”

Jack took a shuddering breath, closed his eyes and imagined never seeing Bittle’s big, brown ones looking back at him. He imagined never hearing Bittle’s laugh or getting to taste Bittle’s famous pie again. “Begin launch sequence.”

Ransom and Holster knew better than to question Jack when he used that tone of voice. Shitty stayed with Jack, eyeing him carefully and only moving to his station when Jack gave him a nod. It wasn’t okay. But Jack had to consider the greater good of the crew.

As the engines roared to life and the ascent vehicle lifted into the air, all Jack could do was look down at the planet they were leaving behind and try not to think about what exactly he was leaving behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading so far! Each chapter is ~1500 words, and I'm thinking this will end up being like 8 chapters, if anyone's keeping track.
> 
> Also does anyone else realize what I dork I am for making their battalions have the same initials as Bitty? And naming them Wellies?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack blames himself for everything and I provide some context to this AU.

“Goddammit!” Jack cursed, throwing his helmet into his locker as they docked on the space station. “Fuck.”

“Hey, Cap,” Holster said, coming up behind him to rest a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“How the fuck is it okay, Birkholtz?” Jack seethed, shrugging off Holster’s shoulders and storming out of the room, calling over his shoulder as he went. “Get these supplies catalogued and stored. I’ll be in my bunk.”

Jack marched down the hall, ignoring the looks he got from passersby. He still had most of his suit on, but he needed to get away from the situation before he did something drastic. He could hear Shitty’s voice and footfalls in the hall behind him, but he ignored it, pushing forward towards his quarters.

He sat heavily on the bed, chest heaving. His chest felt tight, lungs struggling to get enough air. The room was starting to spin, so he closed his eyes. He could tell he was starting to have a panic attack. His training had kept him in control until everyone else was safe, but now that he was alone, he couldn’t keep his breathing steady. He felt the bed dip next to him and felt Shitty’s hand on his chest.

“Jack, hey,” he said calmly. “Breathe with me, okay? In, two, three and out, two, three.”

Shitty sat with him, counting his breaths until he was able to calm down enough to speak.

“I can’t believe I left him,” he said, quietly. He had never lost someone on a mission, not a civilian, not a member of his battalion, and certainly never someone he cared about as much as he did Bitty.

“ _We_ left him, Jack,” Shitty said. “We’re a team. It was a shitty situation and you made the decision you had to to save the team and the supplies.”

“He was my responsibility,” Jack said. “And I let him down.”

“You couldn’t have predicted that storm, Jack,” Shitty said. “The weather team barely told us in time. And if we had stayed any longer, it would have been all of us stuck down there. This way, the supplies are where they need to be, and we’re all here. Once the storms calm down and we settle in a bit more, we can try for a rescue mission.”

Jack knew that Shitty was trying to soothe his nerves, but he knew a rescue mission would never be authorized. There’s no sign that Bittle is actually alive, and there’s no way that ERB command are going to risk a whole crew’s lives for the sake of one person, amazing as that person may be.

“Jack,” Shitty said, looking him in the eye. “Bitty’s smart, and fast, and resourceful. If anyone can make it, he can.”

Jack sighed and nodded. “I know. It’s just - hard. I’ve never lost anyone before and losing Bittle…”

Shitty’s eyes softened. “He’s special. Not just to the team, but to you. I’ve seen what it looks like when Jack Zimmermann fights for what matters. If there’s anything to be done, we’ll get it the fuck done.”

“Thanks, Shits,” Jack said, feeling calm for the first time since he lost sight of Bittle.

“You’re welcome,” Shitty said, standing to leave. The best thing about his relationship with Shitty was he knew when to be there, even if Jack didn’t want him to be, and he knew when Jack needed to be alone. “And if you need anything, from any of us - whether it’s making sure you’re eating 3 meals a day or a master plan to rescue Bitty - we’re here for you.”

Jack nodded. “Apologize to Holster for me, will you? I’m sorry I snapped.”

“He’ll understand,” Shitty said. “We all get that way sometimes. Get some rest, Cap.”

Jack sank into his bed as the door slid shut behind Shitty, feeling the exhaustion seep through his body. His thoughts turned to the mission, and what it meant to lose Bitty. He fought in vain as his eyelids slid shut, his body overruling him with the need for sleep.

___

Jack had always known he would become a part of the ERB. He had grown up watching his father form the battalions and shape the way in which humanity would make their way up to the space stations. He, along with the other early colonists, had learned how to not only survive on a space station but to thrive there.

When Jack turned 18 and was finally inducted into the ranks, he rose quickly through the ranks; everyone expected him to follow his father’s footsteps and become an officer before the age of 20. The night before his captain’s exam, however, Jack ended up in the hospital, a result of mixing anxiety and sleep medication in just the right combination.

Jack had never planned to overdose; he had just wanted to sleep. The stress of the exam and of the expectations that had been put on his shoulders had been keeping him up nights. But the damage had been done; his credibility was damaged and people were starting to doubt whether the younger Zimmermann had what it takes to lead. He had to take a few steps backwards, but within the next few years he had been given control of a small battalion - nothing like the command positions everyone had predicted, but it was something. They were given the task of evacuating citizens and transporting supplies up to the space station. It wasn’t flashy, and it didn’t make the news waves, but Jack was happy in a way he hadn’t been in a while.

The team assembled slowly. The first few members, Shitty and Johnson, were supportive and kind, if hard to understand at times. They began with simple evacuations, gathering people and their belongings to bring them up to their new homes in the space station. Soon, their success with missions gained some attention, and they were given more difficult assignments, which meant more crew members. Ransom and Holster were so in sync it was almost supernatural and they meshed with the team in a way that Jack could only have hoped. Their success continued and as the last few ascent vehicles were leaving, they were tasked with being one of the last crews on earth. In the months leading up to the trip, Johnson decided to leave the battalion, mysteriously citing a need to spend more time with his nonexistent family as his reason for retiring from the ERB. With Johnson’s departure came the addition of one Eric Bittle, and with it a new layer of frustration in Jack’s life.

“Nice to meet y’all,” Eric had said when he was brought in to meet the team.

Jack frowned. Size was typically a factor in those chosen for the ERBs. Not only did you need to fit in the suits, you needed to be able to carry large equipment and hold your own against the sometimes hurricane-force winds down on Earth. He’d never actually seen a member of an ERB so small. Jack’s anxiety immediately began to creep up, his concern for the new team member increasing by the second.

“Your name’s Bittle?” Ransom asked, peering at Eric where he stood between him and Holster. At Bittle’s nod, he turned to Holster. “What are you thinking? Bitty?”

“Shit, bro, that’s perfect,” Holster responded, high fiving Ransom over Bittle’s head.

“Do I have any kind of say in this?” Bitty asked.

“Nope,” Shitty said, shaking his head. “Learn to live with the crazy, brah. Welcome to the team.”

Jack shook his head at his crew’s antics. Most battalions had nicknames for each other, but his team had taken to the idea with a fervor that he hadn’t seen anywhere else. They had tried in vain to come up with a nickname for Jack, but nothing ever seemed to stick.

“Welcome,” he said to Bittle, keeping his voice level and raking his eyes up and down Bittle’s small frame. “You should eat more protein.”

Despite their semi-disastrous first conversation (that Jack was still getting chirped for to this day), Bittle was a good addition to their team. Only having recently left Earth, he still understood what it was like to be down there, and the dangers of what could happen to them. He was fast and efficient in their emergency drills, accounting for himself and his teammates effortlessly. Jack found himself appreciating him more and more as the time came, starting to see his small size as an advantage. He and Bitty began to experience a synergy that rivaled Ransom and Holster, working together seamlessly in drills,  always aware of where the other was as they worked.

Jack tried his best not to acknowledge the feelings growing between him and Bittle. This was their last Earth mission for the foreseeable future, if all went according to plan, and he couldn’t afford to have any distractions. Their professional relationship blossomed and grew, but away from official practices and drills, Jack kept Bittle at a distance, never using his nickname or spending time with him one-on-one the way the others often did. But Bittle still managed to worm his way under his defenses and Jack found himself caring for Eric in a way that was different than all the others.

So of course, just as Jack was starting to work on recognizing his feelings for Bittle, he loses the chance to ever act on them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading so far - I hope you enjoy the rest of this AU! I'm excited to share it with y'all. The next chapter will focus on Bitty and introduce some new characters into the mix!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eric Bittle wakes up and makes some new friends (AKA yay bitty's back!)

Eric Bittle woke up to an alarm blaring through his helmet, the ringing disturbing the headache he already had. He lifted his wrist to see the readout and his heart sunk at the message flashing across the screen, letting him know that he was out of range of the ascent vehicle. The memories of the crew leaving flooded through his mind and he sighed in relief; they had been on the ship, which means they’re safe. He honestly wasn’t sure how he’d survived; the charred crater right next to his shoulder showed him how lucky he had been.

He leaned forward to sit up and stopped short at the pain that shot through his ribs and chest. He wrapped an arm around his ribs and groaned. Broken ribs, probably; just his luck. He had a gash running down his forearm as well, but it looked like it had stopped bleeding, so that could wait. He looked down and saw the communications panel on his suit had been reduced to so much circuitry. There goes that plan.

He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing, taking stock of what he knew. He had no way of getting in contact with the ship or the station. The battalion had (hopefully) left without him, which means the last available transport to the space station was gone. He had definitely broken at least one rib, and his suit was tattered and torn. He needed to get up; every second he spent lying here was a second wasted towards getting back up to the station.

Standing up took about 5 minutes, with Bitty having to fight through the pain and stop to catch his breath a few times, but eventually he was able to hobble his way over to the tents, where he was pleased to find there was still a medkit pushed under Ransom’s bunk. He wound the elastic bandage around himself tightly, feeling relief flood through him as the pain lessened. He knew he would need to examine the situation more carefully at some point, but for now, he needed to get moving. He gathered everything he thought would be useful into one of the backpacks they had been provided, grabbing Jack’s computer on the way. If there was going to get a message up to the station, it was going to be through that computer.

He went back outside and looked back at the tent, bidding it goodbye. He’d spent some of the best times of his life in that tent, with all the other members of the battalion. With Jack. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes and he shook his head, focusing on the task at hand.

As he turned to leave, his eyes locked onto the crate that had caused all of this in the first place and for the first time since waking, his heart soared. It had opened when he’d dropped it, and some of the rations inside were spilling out onto the ground. At least he won’t starve. He gathered them up in his pack and as he was ready to get going, he realized he should probably leave something behind, just in case someone came looking for him.

He hobbled back to the desktop computer at the main communications station in the tent and turned on the camera, luckily undamaged from the storm.

“Hello,” he said, looking directly into the camera. “My name is Eric Bittle. I was a part of an ERB that had to leave unexpectedly due to an electric storm. My team left me behind to ensure that the food and medical supplies got to the space station to the people who were depending on them. 

“If y’all are listening - I don’t blame you one bit. Please understand that. You did what you had to do. My communications relay was pretty much destroyed in the storm, so you couldn’t have known where I was or that I was just knocked out and not worse. Please don’t blame yourselves - that means you, Jack Zimmermann. And don’t you worry - that crate I was running back to get was full of protein packs, so I’ll definitely be eating enough protein.”

He laughed to himself at the face he knew Jack would make if he ever heard this. “I’m going to try and find a way to contact the space station. I’ll try and leave a path behind me, so that y’all will know where I am if you get here and I’m gone. I’ll see y’all again soon, if I have anything to say about it.” He gave the camera one last smile, trying to put on a brave face for his team.

He set off, heading east towards the closest base. Maybe there would still be some communications equipment there that didn’t get damaged in the storm. He had walked for what felt like hours, only stopping once to choke down one of the protein packs - they really were disgusting when you didn’t have a full kitchen to prep them in - when he saw it. Between the trees, he saw a glowing red light on top of a metal tower - the communications array for the nearby base.

He sucked in a deep breath, trying to force some air back into his lungs. It had been a long day of walking, and he had probably overexerted himself, with his lungs constricted the way they were. He sat down with his back resting against a nearby tree. He had earned a quick rest, with all the progress he’d made today. He could do a little bit more tonight, and then by tomorrow, he would get to the base and get a message to Jack - to the team. He could feel his eyes slipping closed and he fell into his sleep

For the second time in as many days, Bitty woke up not knowing where he was. He blinked the sand out of his eyes and saw that he was in a building. For a second, he wondered if someone had found him and brought him back to the space station, or that maybe everything from the day before was just a dream, but as soon as he thought that, an unfamiliar voice piped up from nearby.

“Hey, guys, he’s waking up!”

Bitty groaned at the pain that shot through his head and his chest, closing his eyes again.

“Hey, man, just chill out a second,” another voice said. “Don’t try and move just yet.”

“Did you just tell a guy coming out of unconsciousness to chill, Nurse?”

Bitty couldn’t help but think of him and his battalion as he overheard the three talking. A sudden pang of longing for Shitty and his rants on anything and everything, Ransom and Holster’s easy friendship and compassion, and Jack’s, well, everything ran through Bitty’s chest, making it hurt in a completely different way.

He opened his eyes and saw three concerned faces looking down at him.

“How are you feeling?” the first voice asked, and BItty turned to look at him. “You looked pretty bad out there, with the dried blood and dirt and stuff. We weren’t sure you would wake up, even if we brought you back to the base.”

“I’m okay, I think,” he said. So he  _ was _ at the base.  _ Good _ , he thought.  _ One step closer to home. _ “I think I just pushed myself too far.”

“Definitely pushed yourself too far,” the second voice came from the same direction as a pair of concerned, forest green eyes. “You’ve got broken ribs, man.”

“I think he knows he has broken ribs, Nurse.” The third voice belonged to a freckled man with red hair who was rolling his eyes. “Or did you think the bandages wrapped themselves around his waist while he was sleeping?”

“Nurse?” Bitty asked, looking down to where his bandages had been removed and noticing that his cuts had been cleaned and the worst ones bandaged. “Are you the one who fixed me up then? Thank you.”

“Actually, Nurse is my name,” the second man (Nurse, apparently) said. “Chowder’s the genius medic around here.”

The other man blushed lightly. “Not a genius, just, you know, well-trained. The bandages are good for broken ribs if you want to keep them still, but they can seriously restrict your breathing and oxygen intake. That’s probably why you passed out. Where did you come from anyway? What’s your name?”

“My name’s Bitty,” he said, looking over at Chowder. He looked very young to be a medic, but he clearly knew what he was doing. “I was supposed to go up to the station yesterday, but I got hurt and my team had to leave me behind.”

“That’s rough, man,” Nurse said, eyes sympathetic. “But I’m glad you found your way to us; we can figure a way out of this together.”

“Yeah, if only we had a way out,” the third man said, his tone sharp and cold.

“Don’t mind Dex,” Nurse said, throwing an arm around the other man’s shoulders, who, surprisingly, didn’t seem to object. “He’s just bitter because he can’t get our ship up and running. Or our communications relay. We were supposed to head out a few days ago, but an electric storm fucked everything up.”

“Fuck,” Bitty muttered. “I was hoping to use your communications tower to send a message to my battalion.”

Dex looked at him apologetically. “If I had the right supplies, I could definitely get it to work. It just got really damaged in the electric storm.”

“Dex, it’s not your fault,” Chowder said, his eyes wide and sincere. “You’re the best engineer in the whole fleet - if you can’t fix it, no one else could.”

“Thanks, C,” Dex said, a small smile curving the corners of his lips up and changing his face entirely.

“I brought some things with me,” Bitty said. “Maybe they’ll help.”

Dex’s eyes lit up at the thought and Bitty could practically see the gears already turning in his mind.

“Okay, yes, Mad Scientist,” Nurse said, smiling over at Dex. He had the kind of smile that could put anyone at ease. “You can play Frankenstein  _ after _ we all get something to eat.”

“Fuck you, Derek,” Dex said, shrugging off Nurse’s arm, but Bitty could see the fondness in his expression.

“You really should eat,” Chowder said, looking at Bitty with concern.

“Are y’all short on food at all?” Bitty asked. “I’ve got some protein packs in my satchel.”

“We’ve been rationing, so we’re doing okay,” Dex said. “We’ve even got some real stuff, not much, but some; better than those protein packs at least. We’ve mostly just been eating it plain though.”

“Y’all have real food left?” Bitty asked, eyes wide. Almost anything that even resembled real food had been sent up to the space station a long time ago. “And a kitchen?”

The three nodded.

“Then between your rations and my protein packs, I can whip up something much better than whatever y’all’ve been eating. Show me the way to the kitchen, boys. You’re in for a treat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, the frogs have arrived! And don't worry, I am going to work in some nurseydex if it kills me, haha. 
> 
> I hope you're still enjoying this! I had meant to post this yesterday for pi day, but I missed it! Kudos/comments are amazing and I love hearing from you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack hatches a plan

“Captain Zimmermann, I cannot authorize a search and rescue mission for one man that we don’t even know is still alive,” Commander Hall said, continuing his determined walk through the halls of the space station. “Not even for you. It’s not worth risking the lives of a whole crew for the life of one soldier.”

“But, sir-”

“I can’t authorize it,” Hall said, looking up from the report he had been reading. “And I’m afraid that’s final. If it means anything, I am sorry. I know how much Bittle meant to your battalion, and to you personally.”

Jack nodded, choosing to ignore Commander Hall’s comment about his relationship with Bittle. Everyone had been looking at him differently since they returned without Bittle. They expressed their condolences to the battalion as a whole, but for some reason, everyone felt the need to seek out Jack personally to say they were sorry for his loss. He’d even received a pitiful loaf of banana bread that one of the station’s cooks had attempted to throw together. He wasn’t sure what they were trying to accomplish with that, but it had only made him more determined to get Bittle back on the station, if only for the promise of halfway decent baked goods.

“But Jack, if you can get me even one shred of proof that Bittle’s down there, even something small, I might be able to get you down there," Commander Hall continued. "No promises, mind you.”

Jack’s heart soared in his chest. “I’ll get you the proof, Commander,” he said, saluting the Commander and waiting until he was out of sight, gears already spinning in his head. He sped down the hall to Shitty’s bunk, the plan coming together in his head.

“Shits, you in here?” Jack asked, peeking his head around the open door before fixing his eyes pointedly to the ceiling. “Fuck, Shits, the door is open. Why don’t you have clothes on?”

Shitty grinned up at Jack from where he was lounging on his bunk in the nude. “I don’t like to feel constrained, brah, you know this. We spent all that time in those suits, I need to make up for it.”

“Fine,” Jack said, sitting on the bed and moving a pillow to block his view of Shitty’s junk. “I need your help. And Lardo’s.”

“What could you possibly be doing that you need mine and Lardo’s help for?” Shitty asked, eyes twinkling. “You wouldn’t be planning a rescue mission, now would you?”

“Not officially, no,” Jack said. “Commander Hall says he can’t authorize it.”

“Jack Zimmermann, are you disobeying a direct order?” Shitty held a hand up to cover his heart. “You’ve got to stop with these grand romantic gestures, I may swoon.”

“It’s not a romantic gesture,” Jack said quickly. “And Commander Hall never said I couldn’t do it; he just said he can’t authorize it without proof.”

“You want us to help you get proof,” Shitty nodded sagely, understanding immediately. “How?”

“How much do you know about remotely hacking into a communications relay?” He spoke quietly, aware of the open door behind him.

“Not much, but Lards knows a decent amount; off the record, of course,” Shitty said, fixing Jack with a look. “Because hacking into an ERB communications relay is definitely not an officially sanctioned action. One might even say it was downright illegal.”

“Shits, think about it,” Jack said, low and serious. “When we were down there, we each did daily check-ins regarding the mission progress. They’re supposed to sync to the space station every 24 hours, but the electrical storm would have interfered with the sync. Bittle might have recorded a check-in from after the storm and it just never got synced to the database. Even if he just signed into the com system, that might be enough to convince Hall to let us go down there.”

Shitty looked into Jack’s eyes, searching. He considered Jack’s words carefully before nodding.

“You’re right,” he said. “Doing this incredibly fucking illegal thing could get us proof that Bitty’s still alive. It could also cost you your rank and get you thrown in jail. Don’t get me wrong, I’m with you 100% of the way, and I get that you look out for your team and you’d probably fight like hell to get any one of us back, but Jack - you’re breaking the rules for Bitty and it is absolutely a romantic gesture.”

“Are you going to help me or not?” Jack asked, frustrated. “We don’t have time to talk about whether it’s a romantic gesture or not. Every minute that Bittle’s alone down there increases the chance he’ll never make it back.”

“Of course, I’m going to help,” Shitty said, rolling his eyes. “And you know Lardo will, too; she loves Bitty and wants him back just as much as we do.”

“I know what I’m asking of you,” Jack said, seriously. “We could both lose our rank, and Lardo could lose her job. I want you to be sure before you become complicit in hacking an ERB com station.”

“Sounds like my kind of party,” Lardo said from the doorway, eyes dancing with mischief. “I heard my name. Are we really gonna do something illegal to get Bitty back? Because if so, I am 100% in.”

___

Jack paced back and forth, nervously alternating his gaze between  the door where Shitty was keeping watch (once again clothed, thankfully) and the screen where Lardo was somehow making sense of a seemingly endless string of numbers, letters, and symbols. They were in one of the com rooms of the space station, underutilized now that all ERB units were back on the station, but there were always patrols through this part of the station and the chance that they would get caught was too great to ignore.

“If you keep pacing like that, I’ll never be able to get this done,” Lardo said, her eyes never leaving the screen.

Jack stopped in his tracks, wiping his sweaty hands on the fabric of his uniform pants. “Sorry.”

Jack closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, willing his nerves to calm down. He wasn’t sure what would be worse, Lardo finding evidence that Bittle survived or not finding anything at all. He knew that even if they didn’t find proof that Bittle had survived the storm that he would fight like hell to go down after him anyway. But if Lardo didn’t find anything, that only made it more likely that Jack would never see Eric again, that he hadn’t made it through the storm. His brain pushed back against the thought, refusing to accept it. Bittle had grown up on earth, he knew how to survive an electric storm. They were going to find him and bring him home, one way or another.

Shitty ducked his head into the room. “We’ve got incoming, a patrol making their way through the communications block. I’m not sure who it is yet, but we should be ready to explain ourselves somehow if it’s not someone we can trust.”

Jack nodded and considered his options, the weight of the blaster in its holster suddenly heavier than usual. His mind reeled at the sudden realization that if it meant seeing Bittle again, he would gladly turn against his own men.

Jack shook himself out of his thoughts at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.

“Shitty? What the hell are you doing all the way down here?”

Jack sighed in relief at the sound of Ransom’s familiar voice. If Ransom was one of the patrol coming their way, nine times out of ten the other was Holster. Jack knew they trusted him to at least not to pry if he asked them not to.

Shitty met Jack’s eyes and Jack nodded, letting him know it was okay.

“We’re on a top secret mission,” Shitty drawled, his tone too casual for the fact that any of them could be locked up for the rest of their lives.

Jack walked to the doorway and greeted Ransom and Holster, purposefully blocking their view of Lardo's work. “I don’t want you guys to be involved if you don’t have to be. We don’t all need to end up in prison.”

“Are you trying to find a way to get Bitty back?” Holster asked, blue eyes focused intently on Jack’s expression. “Because if so, we want in.” Ransom nodded along, confirming that he, too, would be willing to go to the edge of the solar system to get Bittle back. Jack pushed down the swell of feelings that surged at the idea of how special Bittle was to each and every one of them, and how loyal they were to him.

“Lardo’s trying to get access to the com system at the base, see if Bittle left any sort of sign that he survived the storm,” Jack explained. “If we can prove he survived the storm, than we at least have enough to get approval for a search and rescue mission.”

“Guys?” Lardo’s voice came from behind him. “I’ve got something you’ll want to see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Jack has a plan! As if he was going to just leave Bitty there. Next chapter is Bitty and the frogs again, so get excited!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bitty finds a way to talk to the Station (and Nurse and Dex are idiots in love)

Bitty had met a lot of amazing engineers in is time in the ERB; he had always been impressed by how Holster seemed to know their equipment inside and out. But watching Dex work was a whole new experience. He seemed to know the inner workings of the com unit in a way that went beyond simple understanding, just by looking at it. His hands worked deftly to explore the machine, eyes flitting between wires and circuitry and muttering to himself every once in awhile.

“Anything?” Bitty asked delicately. Dex had a similar gleam in his eye as Ransom got whenever he was in “coral reef mode,” and he knew how badly it could end when someone interrupted him in the middle of something.

Dex lifted up his cap and ran a stressed hand through his hair. “I think it’s the power source. One of the backup batteries got damaged and there’s not enough power coming from the remaining one to get any sort of message out.”

“See, Dex, I knew you would be able to figure out what was up,” Chowder piped up from where he was sitting at the desk, playing War with Nursey and a beat up deck of cards. “It was only a matter of time.”

“Well, if we don’t figure out a way to somehow create a power source from the scraps we have here, it’s useless knowing what’s wrong.”

Bitty’s eyebrows furrowed. “Could a battery from a laptop work?”

Dex’s head snapped up to look at Bitty. “Yeah, maybe… You got one of those hidden somewhere?”

Bitty reached for his pack and pulled Jack’s laptop out of its sleeve. He hesitated. This was his last real link to his battalion, to Jack. It held all of the videos Shitty had recorded of the battalion as they worked, laughing and chirping each other as they went about their business at camp. It held all of Jack’s terrible dad-rock, which was, for some reason, the only media files Jack had chosen to bring down to earth with him. Giving up the battery would mean saying goodbye to the last thing he had of Jack’s; but it also meant he could be one step closer to seeing Jack again.

He clenched his jaw against the lump in his throat and took a deep breath, before walking over to Dex. 

“Here,” Bitty said, thrusting the laptop towards Dex. “There’s a battery in here - it should have a decent amount of charge left.”

Dex took it and his eyes widened in awe as if Bitty had just handed him the holy grail. “Where did you get this? Everything we had here was either taken back up to the station or is too powerful and might overload the system.”

“It’s our captain’s,” Bitty said, feeling the lump in his throat return. “He left it behind when we were rushing to pack everything up. Priorities, and all; he always put others before himself.”

Nurse looked at him carefully. “Are you sure you want to give us this, Bits?” he asked. “We don’t know if it will even work, and it’s obviously important to you. We can find another way.”

Dex started to protest, but Nursey shot him a look.

“No, we should use it,” Bitty nodded. “I’d rather be able to see Jack again in person than hold onto his laptop. Even if it doesn’t work, Jack would want us to try.”

Dex nodded and took the laptop from Bitty, gratitude shining in his eyes. “I’ll try and get it up and running,” he said. “You’ll be the first to know.”

Bitty gave Dex a watery smile before turning to find something to distract himself with. It would do no good to sit and watch Dex fiddle with electronics. His feet took him to the kitchen almost unconsciously and he started taking out supplies to try and figure out what he could possibly bake out of what was left over.

It was only once he had started mixing together something that at least resembled his Moo Maw’s pie crust that he realized that Chowder had followed him. He looked up and smiled at Chowder’s concerned look.

“Whenever I get nervous, I just have to keep my hands busy, otherwise I would go insane,” Bitty explained, the motions almost automatic after having done it so many times. “Growing up, I would always go help my Mama or Moo Maw in the kitchen, and it just stuck.”

Chowder smiled at him. “That’s so nice. Farmer and I would sometimes cook together before I got shipped down.”

“Farmer?” Bitty asked.

“Oh! Farmer’s my girlfriend,” Chowder’s cheeks reddened a bit. “She and I got together when I was in training on the Station, and then I got sent here. She’s really great, and I knew I would miss her coming down here, but I didn’t realize how much until I couldn’t talk to her anymore. I think she’s probably really worried about me, and I can’t do anything to make her feel better. So, you know, I guess I know how you feel, if you wanna talk about it.”

Bitty nodded, before catching up with what Chowder had said. “Wait, what?”

“Oh, sorry,” Chowder said. “I don’t mean to pry or anything; I just understand what it’s like to have someone you care about up in the stars, how all you can think about sometimes is how you’re going to get back to them.”

“Oh!” Bitty’s eyes widened in surprise. “Jack and I - we’re not- It’s not really like that-”

“It’s okay,” Chowder said, “You don’t have to talk about it; I know it must have been hard with him being your captain and all.”

Bitty considered correcting him, but instead chose to nod and smile. That part was true, at least; it had been hard dealing with his inconvenient feelings for his straight-laced, by-the-book captain. Relationships between members of the same ERB were strictly forbidden unless they had begun before the battalion was placed on active duty. Even so,  it was recommended to request placement in another battalion to avoid emotional decisions in the heat of the moment. Even if Jack  _ was _ interested in Bitty, he would never have initiated anything until they got back to the station.

He and Chowder worked silently, Bitty giving instructions whenever it was needed, until the pie was in the oven. Chowder smiled at Bitty, clearly proud of what they had accomplished.

“How long is it going to take?” Chowder asked. 

“We’ve got a while,” Bitty replied, setting the timer on the oven. “Want to go check up on Dex and Nurse?”

“Sure,” Chowder agreed. “Someone should probably make sure that they haven’t killed each other yet.”

“Is that something we should be worried about?”

“Oh, not actually,” Chowder replied, a reassuring smile on his face. “When we first started our training, they were at each other’s throats constantly. But, somehow, they figured out a way to make it work and everything just clicked. Now they get along pretty well, I guess; they still fight a bit, but I think that’s actually because-”

As they turned the corner into the main room, Chowder stopped talking and grabbed Bitty’s arm to hold him back. Dex was leaning over the communications array, head bowed in concentration, and Nursey had leaned in close, gazing at Dex with something like awe written across his face.

“Seriously, Dex, you’re the best engineer I think I’ve ever met,” Nursey was saying. “And cute, on top of it all.”

Dex grunted in response, seeming to focus more on what he was doing than Nurse’s words.

“Seriously, Dex,” Nurse continued. “Why don’t you ever believe me when I say I think you’re cute?”

“You say that shit to everyone, Nurse,” Dex responded, still refusing to look up at Nurse, the tips of his ears red.

“I’m serious,” Nurse responded, his eyes never leaving Dex. “I think you’re smart, and cute, and I’m glad I gave getting to know you a second chance.”

Dex stopped what he was doing with a huff, looking up at Nurse with flashing eyes. “I’m trying to get this working so that we can go home and you’re just- why are you always here? You’re so distracting, and I- I can’t help but-” He paused, collecting his thoughts and turning back to work on the coms. “Look, Nurse, either stop flirting with me or get out and let me work, because I know you don’t mean it.”

Nurse was quiet for a second, and it seemed that he had taken Dex at his word and chosen the second option, but then he spoke, his quiet voice travelling in the otherwise quiet space, “What if I meant it?”

Dex was silent, pretending he hadn’t heard Nurse.

“Dex?” Nurse prompted, a little louder. “Will, what if I meant it?”

Dex paused what he was doing at the sound of his first name, but still didn’t meet Nursey’s gaze. “Then I guess we would have something to talk about,” he said. “But you don’t, so-”

Bitty understood why Chowder had him stop in the doorway before Dex and Nursey had realized they were there. With the way Nurse pulled Dex into a kiss, all want and desperation, it was obvious that this had been a long time coming. The two embraced, Dex tensing, then relaxing into the kiss, his shoulders relaxing completely for the first time since Bitty had met him. Chowder’s face lit up and it looked like he was barely restraining himself from cheering with happiness. Bitty was starting to wonder if they should leave the room to Dex and Nursey when they separated.

Dex’s eyes were locked on Nursey’s lips, eyes full of heat. Nursey broke into a smile and rested his forehead against Dex’s. “Told you I meant it.”

“I guess you did,” Dex said, his voice slightly dazed as his eyes trailed up to meet Nursey’s.

Chowder couldn’t hold it in any longer, cheering and running over to hug his friends. “Congratulations you guys! I’m so happy for you!”

Bitty laughed at Nursey’s and Dex’s matching looks of surprise as Chowder pulled them into a tight hug. All three of them looked so happy together, and he felt a surge of longing for his own crew. He tried to ignore the jealousy that welled up at the happily embarrassed blush on Dex’s face and the unabashed grin on Nursey’s. Bitty went over to join in the celebration, smiling widely to hide the fact that it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

In the midst of all the celebrating, Bitty was the only one to notice the screen flicker to life behind the three others.

“Dex?” he asked, his heart skipping a beat.

Dex followed his gaze, eyes wide, and let out a whoop. “I fucking did it, the coms are back up.”

Bitty’s heart swelled. For the first time, he felt like he had a real chance at getting home, at seeing  Jack the rest of the crew again. “We can get a message through?”

“Yeah,” Dex said. “Just text, and it’ll still run with a bit of a delay, but we should be able to get a message through.”

Nursey wrapped an arm around Dex and smiled at him proudly before turning to Bitty. “You do it. You’re the reason we’re able to do this. Go on and send a message to your captain. I think he’ll be happy to hear from you.”

Bitty smiled his thanks, eyes filling with tears of joy, of relief.

“As for us,” Nurse continued, “we’ll be in my bunk - don’t worry if you don’t hear from us for a while.”

Dex rolled his eyes at Nurse’s antics but apparently had no objections to the plan, as he steered them both out of the room.

Bitty turned to Chowder. “Are you sure you don’t want to try to talk to Farmer? You’ve been apart much longer than Jack and I.”

“Nah, you go ahead,” Chowder said, smiling. “But if you don’t mind, could you mention that I’m here? Maybe Jack can let Caitlin know that I’m okay?”

“I’m sure he’d be happy to do that,” Bitty said. “Thank you.”

Chowder left the room with a nod, turning towards the kitchen to check on their pie. Bitty looked at the keyboard, suddenly at a loss for what he should type. Over the past few days, he’d thought of almost nothing else except what he would say to Jack and the crew if he could, but for now, he figured it would be best to stick to the basics. He typed out his message, read it over, and hit send.

And now, he would wait, and hope that Jack was listening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's that Nursey/Dex I was promising! Sorry this update took so long - I had a ridiculous amount of things happening in my life, but the good news is, I should have time to write again this week! Hope you enjoyed!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack is listening and there's a cameo from a recent addition to the fandom!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a(n almost) direct quote from The Martian in here - bonus points to anyone who can find it!!

Jack had spent the last 24 hours getting the battalion ready to head back down to the surface. Lardo had been able to patch them through to the coms system at their camp and he had nearly cried when he saw the video that Bittle had recorded. He had been denying the part of himself that suggested that Bittle hadn't survived the storm, but he couldn't deny the wave of utter relief that had washed over him when he'd seen Bittle's video.

God, that video.

Jack hadn’t realized how much he had missed Bittle until the moment his face popped up on the screen. The picture was grainy and would cut out every once in awhile - even Lardo couldn’t ensure a perfect picture when it came to a partially damaged coms relay thousands of miles below them - but it didn’t matter. Bittle’s smile was bright enough to cut through anything.

The rest of the team was as eager to get down to the surface as he was, but the next transport that would be available wouldn’t be for a few days yet. There were still a lot of factors to consider in the mission, but all Jack could think about was seeing Bittle again, different scenarios playing on repeat as he went about his day.

As he was reviewing the supplies they would need for their trip , a communications officer skidded into the cargo bay. Eric Bittle’s rescue operation had become the talk of the station, with every man, woman, and child wondering if he would be rescued. With that came a decent amount of speculation about the relationship between Bittle and his stoic captain, who all of a sudden seemed to be having an emotional response. Even this coms officer seemed to understand how important the situation was to Jack, her chest heaving with exertion from the run.

“Captain Zimmermann, there’s a message for you,” she huffed out. “From the surface.”

Jack’s eyes widened and he broke into a run, the coms officer huffing along behind him. _Bittle_. No one else could have sent that message. Even if by some coincidence there was another person stuck on the surface, they wouldn't have contacted him. It had to be Eric. Had to be.

When they reached the coms deck, Jack took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before he looked at the message. He felt a sudden swell of pride when he saw the first of Bittle’s message displayed in front of him. Of course he would have figured out a way to get into contact with them. A determined Eric Bittle could do anything he set his mind to. He sunk into the chair at the station, eyes locked on the screen.

___

_Incoming Message from Surface Base K27: Attn: Captain Jack Zimmermann_

[19:20] SURFACE BASE K27: Jack - Hopefully this message finds you. I got to the base and found three other ERB officers here. Their ascent had been delayed by the same storm that caused us to leave early. We’re all in good health, and Dex (the engineer) was able to get the coms up and running so we can at least send messages by text. If you can read this, then we know it works, I guess.

[19:20] SURFACE BASE K27: In case you didn’t see the video I recorded at the camp, I want to make sure you know that I don’t blame you at all. It was an impossible situation and you did what you had to do; it was my choice to go back for the crate. Please don’t blame yourself, Jack, and don’t you dare let anyone else feel guilty either.

[19:21] SURFACE BASE K27: We don’t have any way of getting up to y’all, since all the ascent vehicles left on the surface have been pretty much destroyed by the electric storms. So that just means that y’all are gonna have to come to us. I hope you and the rest of the crew are doing well, and that I get to see y’all again soon. I miss you.

[19:20] SURFACE BASE K27: Oh, and PS - could you please let Private Caitlin Farmer know that Chowder is okay and hopefully will be coming home soon? I can’t imagine what she’s been going through not knowing where he was. Derek Nurse and William Poindexter are down here with me as well.

___

Jack sat heavily in the chair at the desk. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders that he hadn’t even realize was there ever since he’d left Bittle behind. He turned to the coms officer that had come to get him in the cargo hold, whose uniform had the name Ford emblazoned across the front, face determined. “We can get a message back?”

“Yes, sir,” Ford responded. “Just give me the word and I’ll get you patched through to the system.”

Jack nodded, his heart swelling at the idea of being able to talk to Bittle again. “Do it. And get the rest of the battalion up here. They should be here to see this, too.”

Ford nodded and tapped around on the screen, pulling up a dialog box in which Jack could type a message to Bittle before scampering off to find the rest of his battalion.

Jack was grateful for the moment alone to collect his thoughts. Bittle was okay, and they would be able to go get him. He was still at the base, and he wasn’t alone. Jack tried to ignore the irrational surge of jealousy that someone else was with Bittle when he couldn’t be there himself. He’d been having a lot of those irrational feelings since they’d left Eric behind. He would probably have to deal with that sometime soon.

But for now, he needed to let Bittle know that they had received his message, and that they were coming to get him soon.

___

[19:25] ZIMMERMANN: Bittle - we’re receiving your messages. I’m so happy to hear you’re alive and safe. We will be coming to get you as soon as we possibly can. The rest of the team are on their way up to talk to you as well, so if you can stay on for a few minutes, I know they’d love to talk to you. I’ll be sure to pass the message along about Chowder - I’m sure Private Farmer will be just as excited to know he’s okay as I am to know you are.

[19:26] ZIMMERMANN: We saw your video and while I’m still inclined to believe I share some of the blame in leaving you behind, I’ll try not to beat myself up about it. Would like a status report on your health - they looked to be bandaged in the video.

[19:26] SURFACE BASE K27: Jack! I’m so happy this worked! I missed y’all so much, you wouldn’t even believe.

[19:26] SURFACE BASE K27: We’d sure love a pick-up. All four of us are ready to get up to the Station. We’ve got limited electricity and enough food here, but a hot shower would be amazing.

[19:27] SURFACE BASE K27: Health status is fine, Jack. I broke a rib or two, but one of the guys here has medical training and says they look okay, just need to heal. The bandages are off, as they were making it hard to breathe.

[19:28] ZIMMERMANN: Ransom is here now, and would like to voice his support for removal of bandages. Glad to know you have someone looking after you down there. Approval was given for rescue mission after recovery of video, but being able to speak to you can only help. And everyone would like to say that they missed you and are happy to be speaking with you.

[19:28] SURFACE BASE K27: Aww, let everyone know I miss them too. Since y’all were already starting to prep a mission, I’m hoping it won’t be too long before I get to see your ugly faces again.

[19:29] ZIMMERMANN: When we pick you up, I will make wild, passionate love to you. Prepare your body.

[19:29] ZIMMERMANN: I didn’t type that! That was Shitty! I stepped away from the console for like 10 seconds!

[19:29] ZIMMERMANN: Do not dignify that with a response.

[19:30] SURFACE BASE K27: I miss you guys so much. Shitty, stop messing with Jack - save it for when I get back so I get to see how red his cheeks get.

[19:31] ZIMMERMANN: Stop helping them, they already gang up on me enough without you on their side.

[19:31] SURFACE BASE K27: Poor Captain Zimmermann, having to deal with such an unruly crew. Dex says I have to sign off - the battery will probably give out soon, but we’ll stay put here and I’ll see you as soon as y’all can get down here.

[19:32] ZIMMERMANN: It's just me now; the rest are off to get everything ready. Maybe we can move up our window if we get prepped in time. Theysaid see you soon and left to finish prepping the mission. I promise we’ll be there soon, Bittle. We never should have left you.

[19:32] SURFACE BASE K27: Y’all just miss the pies.

[19:34] ZIMMERMANN: I miss a whole lot more than just the baked goods, Bittle.

___

Jack sighed and leaned back in the chair, staring at the screen with a dopey grin on his face. He waited a few minutes for Bittle to respond, but nothing came. Maybe he hadn’t even seen that last message.

He smiled up at Ford, who was still standing at attention, ready to assist him if needed. "Thank you, Lieutenant Ford," he said. "And if you could pass along the message to Private Farmer for me? I know you probably read everything over my shoulder anyway, and I want to go make sure we're all set when our window comes up."

She nodded and saluted quickly, hiding her embarrassment at Jack realizing she'd eavesdropped.

Jack took off at a brisk pace, heading to the hangar where their ship was being loaded. He stepped into the elevator, punched the button for the hangar and took a deep breath. They should be able to take off in 3 days or less, especially now that they know for sure exactly where they’re going. Three days. He would see Bittle again in _three days_.

The elevator doors opened and he walked out the doors and straight into - his father.

“Commander Zimmermann, Sir,” he saluted, mind reverting to procedure in his panic at running into his dad so suddenly.

“At ease, Jack,” he said. “What’s got you in such a rush?”

“We’re prepping for our surface mission,” Jack said, relaxing his stance.

“The one to rescue Bittle?” Bob asked. “I heard about that. It’s the talk of the Station. I was glad to hear he's okay; he's a good man.”

Jack nodded his agreement. “Shitty mentioned that people have been talking. I’m not sure why it’s so fascinating to everyone, but I’m glad because it gives Command even more of a reason to let us have whatever we think we need to get him and the others back up here.”

Bob nodded, looking appraisingly at his son. “I’m sure it’s hard not to have had Bittle here. It’s never easy when you don’t get a chance to say goodbye.”

Jack nodded, not quite sure what his father was getting at.

“This is an amazing thing you’re getting; second chances don't come along often,” he said, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder and leveling him with a stern look. “Don’t waste it. If there’s anything that ran through your head when you thought you’d lost him, things you wish you could’ve said or done, but never had the chance - don’t let yourself miss out a second time.”

Jack’s eyes went wide. “Oh,” he said, his throat suddenly tight.

“Good luck, Captain,” his father said, a slight smile across his face. “Now hop to it. You’ve got a mission to prep for.”

Jack turned back to the elevators, punching the button insistently. His dad was right - he had a mission to prep for, and some things to think about before he saw Bittle next.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack & Co. make it down to the base and there are reunions EVERYWHERE.

Never let it be said that Eric Bittle doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings. Okay, yes, maybe it’s not the most healthy thing in the world to bake all of his emotions into pies, but no one’s complained yet and it’s better than a jumbled up mess of feelings and  _ no _ baked goods. But when he was working with limited resources, it was kind of hard to bake his feelings out.

Dex, Nurse, and Chowder, who weren’t used to Bitty’s particular form of emotional freak out, watched with a mixture of terror and awe as he bustled around the kitchen, muttering to himself as he worked through unit conversions and calculations based on what they had left in stock.

“Bits?” Chowder called from where they sat at the metal table. “Do you need any help?”

“No, Chowder, honey, I’m okay,” Bitty said, flashing a quick smile. “Just need to keep my hands busy.”

“Did your conversation not go well?” Nurse asked.

“No, it went great,” Bitty responded, working his hands into the dough. “The whole team was there, and they were great, and Jack was there, and he was great, and they’re coming to get us soon, so that’s great, too, right?”

“Yeah, Bits, that’s… great,” Dex said, giving Nurse and Chowder a questioning look. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“Just - what do you think Jack meant when he said he missed ‘more than the baked goods’?” Bitty asked. “What does that even  _ mean _ ?”

“Probably that he misses  _ you _ , Bits,” Nurse said, keeping his voice calm. “What else did he say?”

Bitty threw up his hands, now covered in flour and bits of dough. “Just - you know, Jack stuff. But it was the  _ way  _ he said it, I guess.” Bitty met the three sets of questioning eyes and rolled his own. “You guys can read it, I don’t mind. “

He continued to work as Dex pulled up the conversation and the three read through it, putting his frustrations into rolling out the dough.

“Your team sounds great Bitty,” Chowder piped up. “I can see why you miss them so much. And they must miss you a lot, too.”

“Jack clearly does,” Nursey said. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on there?”

Dex elbowed Nurse in the side, warning him with a look not to interfere.

Bitty blushed. “Nothing, not anything… official or anything. It’s hard not to admire him, you know? With all he’s been through and how good he is with the crew. And you should’ve seen him with the kids we picked up - they love him, and he’s so good with them, it would melt even the coldest heart.”

“And that ass certainly doesn’t hurt,” Nursey said only to receive another elbow in the side from Dex. “What? I can appreciate beauty from a distance. You’d have to be blind not to know how attractive Jack Zimmermann is. We’ve all seen the recruitment posters.”

“He  _ hates _ those.” Bitty smiled at the memory. “They started putting them up right when we were getting ready to leave, and Jack would go to ridiculous lengths to avoid them. He ate in his quarters for a week before Shitty started stealing them and putting them up wherever he knew Jack was going to be.”

Dex, Nursey, and Chowder were all chuckling at the idea the great Jack Zimmermann afraid of a little poster.

“He thought he would finally get away from them when we came down here,” he continued, “but Ransom and Holster had snuck a few into their personal effects. I never really saw the appeal in the posters, though; they photoshopped the life out of him. He’s much better in person.”

Chowder let out an aww, leaning his chin on his hand. “It’ll be so romantic when you guys see each other again. You’ve been torn apart by fate, but he’s coming back for you.”

Bitty  felt his face go hot. “I’m not so sure about that. Jack’s always watched out for all of us. He’d probably do the same for any of us.”

The three men sitting at the table looked at him skeptically.

“I’m serious,” Bitty said. “Just because I have feelings for him doesn’t mean he returns them.”

“You never know,” Dex said, his eyes trailing over Nursey’s profile. “It could happen.”

“Look at you, turning into a hopeless romantic,” Nurse chirped, eyeing his boyfriend.

“Shut up, you dork.”

Bitty sighed and smiled at the two’s obvious affection for one another. They still had their moments where they couldn’t agree with each other to save their own lives, but Bitty thought if it meant saving the other’s life, they might be convinced. All this talk of Jack was getting to him; he’d been shoving that part of him down for so long that he wasn’t sure what to do with it now it had come back to the surface. Dex was right, anything  _ could _ happen. Doesn’t mean that it would, or even should.

“We better get our things together, so we can be ready when they get here,” Chowder changed the subject, sensing Bitty’s discomfort. “According to the flight plan Jack sent over, it should only be an hour or two before they land.”

Bitty smiled and nodded, slipping the pie in the oven. Despite his nerves, he was excited to see Jack, and the whole crew, again.

As Bitty packed up the last of his things, he tried not to think about what would happen when he saw Jack again. He didn’t think about whether Jack had missed him as much as Bitty missed Jack. He tried not to think about whether or not absence really  _ did _ make the heart grow fonder, and he definitely didn’t imagine the impossible scenario of Jack sweeping him into his arms and kissing the living daylights out of him the moment his feet touched the ground.

While Bitty was down on earth, he had pretty much come to terms with the fact that his feelings for Jack were, well, more than friendly, and that they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. When he got back up to the Station, he knew he had a decision to make. It would be too hard to go day in and day out in such close quarters to Jack without knowing how he felt. Even if, as Bitty suspected, his feelings weren’t quite returned, at least he would know and be able to get over Jack properly. But if by some miracle Jack felt the same, then, Bitty would have pretty much everything he ever wanted; he decided it was probably worth it to try.

Bitty was knocked out of his thoughts by Chowder ducking his head into the room.

“Bitty! They’re on radar! Dex is trying to get them on the coms so we can help guide them, but they should be here soon!”

Bitty tossed the last few things in his bag unceremoniously and threw it over his shoulder, rushing out to meet the ship. He could hear Holster’s voice coming from the coms relay where Dex was sitting and his heart swelled. The entire crew had insisted on coming, so they were in one of the larger evac transports that Bitty had grown used to during his time in the ERB. He could already see the ship descending into the valley where the base was set. Part of him hadn’t been able to believe they were really coming until now, now that it was real. His crew had come back for him, for them, and he was going home.

The transport touched down gracefully on the landing pad; the doors opened and the crew came spilling out in their haste to see Bitty. For his part, Eric couldn’t keep the goofy grin off his face as he ran to meet them.

Ransom and Holster came up on either side of him, hugging him tightly. Shitty and Lardo soon joined in, yelling and cheering about how “fuckin’ awesome” Bitty was and how glad they were to see him again. Jack hung back, eyes glistening with amusement (and, were those tears?) as he watched his crew’s reunion.

After a few minutes, the crew stepped back, making introductions and chatting animatedly with Nursey, Dex, and Chowder. Bitty could already tell that they would all get along like a house on fire, but he was distracted by Jack, who was still standing a safe distance away, his blue eyes boring into Bitty. For a moment, Eric questioned whether he was right to assume that Jack didn’t return his feelings, the intensity of emotion in Jack’s gaze nearly knocking him off his feet.

“Glad to see you’re still alive and well, Bittle,” Jack said, his tone slipping into the practiced calm of command. Bitty was sure he heard Shitty and Holster groan out loud behind him, the conversations having quieted so they could all watch the reunion.

Bitty faltered. After talking to Jack, he was taken aback by the formality with which Jack addressed him. It was like they were back at the beginning, when Jack didn’t want Bitty in his battalion, much less in his life. But it had been a week, and Jack had always been terrible with expressing emotions, and Bitty had thought that he would never see Jack again, so goddamnit, he was going to hug that man.

He wrapped his arms around Jack, reveling in the weight of him in his arms. Jack looked incredibly strong, always, but he was soft around the edges, both literally and metaphorically, and it always felt like coming home on the somewhat rare occasion that Bitty got to hug Jack Zimmermann.

“I missed you, too,” Bitty said into Jack’s shoulder. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, sure and strong, and he smiled. Jack was here. He had really come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, y'all, I couldn't get it all into one chapter! Bitty just has a lot of feelings, okay? Also I like the idea of getting Jack's perspective on the next chapter. So there's one more left after this one, and it'll be the one you've all been waiting for (hopefully). Stay tuned for even MORE reunions (well, at least one more).


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the part where I apologize for going MIA for almost an entire month before posting this. There's not really an excuse, but I was out of the country for two weeks and at a family reunion for another. Anyway, have the final chapter as an apology! Sorry if it takes a turn for the disgustingly cheesy at the end.

Jack knew, objectively, that the Station hadn’t changed since Bittle had come back. He knew that the floors were the same, the walls were the same, the horrible cafeteria food was even the same. But something about it felt lighter, easier, than it had ever since they had returned without Bittle. Rather than let himself think about what that might mean, he let himself get wrapped up in the reunion taking place in front of him.

Granted, he hadn’t known Chowder long, and didn’t know Farmer hardly at all, but even a complete stranger would be hard-pressed not to be affected by their reunion. The moment the shuttle docked at the Station, Chowder was dashing into the hangar and into Farmer's waiting arms. They both had tears running down their cheeks, but their smiles were radiant, and everyone around them felt the joy of having someone you thought you’d lost back in your arms.

Jack’s eyes searched out Bittle involuntarily, and he couldn’t help the smile that found its way onto his own face. He had some idea of what it was like to get something back that you never thought you could have.

The rest of the crew and rescues were embracing old friends and comrades who had been waiting in the hangar for their arrival. The crowd that had assembled was larger than Jack had expected; it looked like half the station had turned out to witness Bittle and the others’ arrival.

“Who are all these people?” Bittle muttered quietly to Jack. “What are they doing here?”

“They’re here to see you,” Jack said. “You’ve become quite the celebrity since you’ve been gone. Everyone wants to see that you’re back and safe.”

Bittle looked around, eyes wide in disbelief. “Why would all these people care what happens to little ol’ me?”

Jack looked Bittle square in the eye. “You’re much more important than you realize, Eric.” He dutifully ignored the way the pink that rose up on Bittle’s cheeks made his stomach flutter and turned away.

He had a mission report to file, a crew to manage, and some eager well-wishers to handle. After all that, then he could deal with the butterflies soaring around his stomach.

___

Bitty stared in awe at the people gathered in the hangar. He had an idea that people would be interested in where he had been the past month or so, but he hadn’t expected anything like this. He tried not to be overwhelmed by all the people coming up to shake his hand and welcome him home, but it was a hard thing. He’d spent a while on his own before he met the others, and even then, 3 people are a whole lot easier to deal with than a couple hundred.

By the time he made it out of the crowd and looked around, Jack was gone. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he couldn’t help the surge of disappointment. Of course Jack was glad to have him back; of course he worked hard to get him here - that didn’t mean that Jack had feelings for him. For what felt like the hundredth time, Bitty scolded himself for reading too much into things and wiped the tears that had fallen without his permission.

“Hey,” Lardo said, appearing on his right. The rest of the crew were scattered around the crowd, telling stories and getting to know Dex, Nursey, Chowder, and Farmer. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Bitty sniffed. “It’s all just a little… overwhelming.”

Lardo fixed him with a knowing glance. “You know Jack has to file reports - he does it every mission. It doesn’t mean he’s not ridiculously glad you’re back and safe. Stupidly glad, really. That guy has been running all over this Station for a month trying to get you back.”

Bitty smiled. “Jack’s a really good captain.”

“ _Just_ a really good captain?” Lardo said, and rolled her eyes at his feigned ignorance. “We all know you two have something that runs deeper than just a brothers-in-arms-type mentality. I half thought Jack was going to make his move the second he picked you up down on Earth.”

Bitty let out a wet laugh. “Yeah, that makes two of us.” He couldn’t stop the tears of disappointment that rolled down his cheeks. “I’m gonna go unpack my stuff, okay? I think I need some time alone.”

“You sure?” Lardo said, pulling him in for a hug. “I’m always up for keeping you company and complaining about boys who are too dense to show their feelings.”

Bitty nodded and gave her a small smile before grabbing his pack and heading for his bunk. He’d never thought he would miss the small room with its four walls and sparse design, but he was eager to get back there, if only so that no one else saw him cry.

___

Jack finished filing his report, accepting congratulations from almost everyone he met. It felt odd to be congratulated for something that, to him, felt so selfish, but he accepted with a small smile and a nod. The mission to retrieve Bittle had always been about getting a member of his team home, about making sure that he was safe. It was always because of  his own need to see Bittle again.

He had always filed reports with little to no resentment; it was just part of his routine whenever his battalion returned to the Station. But this time, he was eager to file his report and get back to Bittle. He had tamped down his feelings as long as it took to get Bittle back to the Station, but now that there were only a few floors and a couple hundred yards between them, mission reports were the very last thing on his mind.

After hastily saluting the officers on deck, he dashed out the door. He had spent a lot of time running through these halls in hopes of finding Bittle; this time though, he knew exactly where he would find him.

He rounded the corner to the hall of barracks where Bitty lived and fought hard to keep a smile off his face. Several crewmen turned to stare as he ran past, confused by his urgency when it seemed that everything was finally settled. He reached the door to Bittle’s room and stopped in the doorway, taking in the sight of Bittle’s frame as he unpacked. He had headphones in and hadn’t noticed Jack’s presence; Jack paused when he noticed Bittle’s shoulders shake and realized that he was crying.

He took another careful step into the room and called out Bittle’s name, but he didn’t seem to hear him over the music. Jack tentatively set his hand on the other’s shoulder, “Bittle?”

“Jack!” he jumped, tugging the headphones out of his ears. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” He tried to wipe the tears off his cheeks so that Jack wouldn’t notice, but it had been a long time since Jack had started noticing everything about Bittle.

In an instant, his mind was made. He didn’t think - enough thinking, he decided - he just leaned down and kissed Bitty.

It was like every cliché in the book and like none of them could compare at the same time. There were fireworks and butterflies, and something that was just so inherently Bittle that it made Jack ache for all the time he spent agonizing over this instead of just _doing_ it.

He brought his hands up to cradle Bittle’s face, revelling in the feel of the soft skin there. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced; getting to hold Bittle like this, to feel him this close, set shivers down his spine and he felt something in him settle that had been restless for a long time.

He pulled away and searched Bittle’s face, hoping to see the same emotions that were coursing through him reflected in big brown eyes.

“Jack? What-?”

“I missed you so much when you were gone, I could hardly stand it. I think it’s very possible that I’m in love with you,” Jack admitted, the words flying out of him after being held in for so long.

“Oh, Lord,” Bittle said, cheeks pink. “Jack, I-”

“I don’t need you to say it back right now,” Jack rushed, mind going back to past speeches from Shitty about consent and expectations of reciprocal feelings in relationships. “I know I’m kind of springing this on you, but I realized a lot of stuff while you were gone, and I just didn’t want to hide it anymore. Not when I might not have had the chance to say it at all.”

Bitty flexed his hands where they gripped around Jack’s biceps. “After all this time, Jack - I never thought you could feel this way about me.”

“I think I’ve felt this way for a lot longer than I might let myself admit,” he admitted, smiling down at Bittle’s radiant face. “But almost losing you, Bittle - Eric, it was harder for me than I’d ever imagined.”

“I have to admit,” Bitty said, biting his lip against a smile, “one of the things that kept me going when I wanted to give up was the idea of getting to see your face again. I imagined it over and over, what it would be like when I saw you.”

Jack pulled Bitty in close and tucked his head under his chin, revelling in the feeling of Bitty’s chest moving with his breath, undeniable proof that he was there and alive. Bitty moved a hand to settle over Jack’s heart, and Jack liked to imagine that his heartbeat provided a similar comfort to Bitty. “I’m sorry if it wasn’t everything you imagined.”

“This is better,” Bitty said, cutting off Jack’s explanations and nuzzling his forehead against Jack’s chest. “I think everyone has been in our business enough for a lifetime.”

Jack huffed out a laugh. “I think I’d be happy if not a single person outside of these walls ever talked about our relationship again.”

“So… there’s going to be a relationship?” Bitty asked, voice unsure. Jack wanted to kiss him and kiss him until all that uncertainty melted away.

“Of course,” he said. “I know I’m not always the easiest to read, and that most people don’t think of me as being very… emotional or, or romantic, but I want to be, for you. I want to give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Bitty smiled up at him. “Jack, I love you just the way you are. Have for a while now. I don’t need anything from you, but you.”

“Well,” Jack said, leaning down to kiss Bitty again, a smile across his face. “That, I can give you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the end! Let me know what you thought, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I know the ~science~ was a little wonky at times - I'm not even close to a scientist, I just watch a lot of sci fi.


End file.
